Something Blue
by KDN89
Summary: This takes right after Episode 3x02 The Bird of Paradise. How you look can reveal what you like. But sometimes it can also reveal who you love...[RaixKim, COMPLETED]
1. Color Scheme

**Chapter 01: Color Scheme**

As Dojo winded his way back to the temple, the monks were in deep conversation about the revelations of the Bird of Paradise. But even more mystifying to them was their new Wudai powers and the Wudai Orion Formation. Their newfound strengths were as exciting as a treasure-trove of Shen Gong Wu.

Upon reaching the Xiaolin Temple, Omi leapt off the enormous dragon to seek the sage wisdom of Master Fung. Surely he could explain these surprises. He did not to look so hard, however, as Master Fung was already waiting for them in the temple entrance.

"How did your quest for the Bird of Paradise go, young monks?" asked the aged Xiaolin master.

"We found a bird we believed to be the Bird of Paradise," Omi replied, "but after losing that bird, we found out the singing elderly lady was the real Bird of Paradise. We were being gamed all along."

"I think you mean 'being played all along'." Raimundo corrected as the remaining three Wudai Warriors joined the conversation.

"Master Fung," Kimiko said before Omi could respond with his trademark "That too", "When we performed the all our powers have grown so much. And when we performed Wudai Orion Formation, I felt like all the fire in me had been released."

"Yeah, about that: What was up with the black-and-not-white color scheme? We looked like we were drawn on a chalkboard…" Raimundo added in his usual sarcastic manner

"Indeed," Master Fung replied, "it is as Kimiko said: your powers have grown tremendously since you rose to the level of Wudai Warrior. And like before, the Wudai Orion Formation, and advanced version of the Dragon X-Kumei Formation, enhanced your physical and elemental abilities. However, the power that is released is far too great to handle at your current level. The 'silhouette skin' you receive after performing the Wudai Orion Formation acts as a limiter of sorts: it lessens minor magical damage used against you, as well as keeps your elemental powers in check, so that they do not overpower your body beyond its limits. As for the aura that surrounds the silhouette skin, the aura symbolizes what you hold dearest to your heart. It represents the single thing in the world that gives you the strength, motivation, and willpower to fight and keep going."

"Well, that right there makes it about as clear as a cow's drinking water. I love the farm-lifestyle…" Clay began.

"Wow, such a shocking surprise." Raimundo muttered to Kimiko, who stifled giggles at Clay's expense.

"…and I suppose vegetation and nature can be symbolized by the color green." Clay finished explaining.

"Oh yes," Omi said with his tone of all-knowing arrogance, "My aura's color, silver, stands for the moon, the master of my element of water. It also symbolizes the greatest mysteries of the world that make everyone stand in awe. Like me."

Omi's words met an awkward silence. After an annoyed pause in the conversation, Kimiko went on to explain her aura.  
"I suppose my red stands for Japan, my home country. So really, what keeps me going are my home, my family, and my friends." she explained.

"What about you, Rai?" Clay inquired from the Brazilian monk, "Why are you as blue as as a leashed up dog that can't chase the family cat?"

"First off," Rai began, "no more farm analogies. Second, what my aura stands for is my business."

"Come on, Rai," piped in Kimiko, "it can't be that big a secret. It's probably surfing or something along those lines."

"Ah yes, Raimundo and his obsession with netting homicidal waves." Omi added matter-of-factly.

"It's 'catching killer waves' and no, that's not it." Raimundo told the other monks.

"Could be the sky," Clay said after some deep thinking, "The wind is his element after all."

Omi was quick to dispel this theory.

"But blue is also the color of water. Raimundo is obviously being motivated by the hopes of one day being as amazing as me. But I am sorry, my friend," he added to Raimundo, "it as I have told you before: That day will never come. For no one will be a greater Xiaolin Dragon than Omi!"

"Sorry, Clay, but it's not the sky. And, Omi," Raimundo explained, "there are a bunch of things wrong with your theory: 1) The water is clear. It's only blue because it reflects the sky. 2) You weren't the first monk to use your Wudai element. I used 'Wudai Wind' against Chase when we rescued you the first time. And 3) Like I've told you before: You're not my favorite monk. There's somebody I think is way better than you."

"He's probably thinking about himself," Kimiko said in a scornful yet playful way.

"Now, young warriors," Master Fung intervened, "There is no need to argue as to who the strongest of the four of you is. Time will reveal who the first to rise to Xiaolin Dragon will be, but I do hope that you will all rise together, as you did when you became Wudai warriors."

In respect of Master Fung, the four monks ended their bickering, but Omi, Clay, and Kimiko continued to ponder aloud what Raimundo's Wudai aura could represent. Rai remained quiet while the others talked, but occasionally when nobody was looking at him, he would throw a nervous over at Kimiko.

He looked into her eyes and lost himself in them.

Those blue eyes that gave him the strength, motivation, and willpower to go on...


	2. Guessing Games

**Chapter 02: Guessing Games**

"Sky?" guessed Clay.

"Nope, sorry." Raimundo replied.

"The ocean?" ventured Kimiko.

"Nah. You guess already guessed these." responded Raimundo.

"Omi?" asked Omi.

"NO." said Rai.

The four monks were sitting in an open field, spending their one work-free day guessing Raimundo's blue aura's meaning.

"Orb of Tornami?" asked Clay.

"Nah." was the reply.

"Third Arm Sash?" Kimiko guessed.

"Sorry." Raimundo told her.

"Omi?" asked Omi.

"NO, Omi" Rai told him in a much louder voice.

"Shen Gong Wu?" Clay ventured after a moment of thinking. His guess received a "Nope."

"The Temple?" Kimiko guessed. Raimundo told her "No" but began to feel a tad uneasy about how close they were getting.

"Omi?" the dwarf monk guessed once more.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, OMI, IT'S NOT YOU!" Raimundo shouted practically at the top of his lungs, even though the Dragon of Water was a few feet away.

"But-but-Did you not hear what I said before? I am one of the greatest mysteries of the universe!" Omi declared in a voice that questioned Raimundo's sanity.

"Omi, the only mystery about you is why you look like the long-lost 8th dwarf." Rai retorted.

As the Xiaolin monks debated as to whether or not Omi had indeed been out sick during the tale of Snow White, a pair of malevolent watched them from rooftops, unnoticed by the beings around him.

Unseen and unheard, a raven left the Xiaolin Temple toward the Land of Nowhere…


	3. Chasing Wuya

**Chapter 03: Chasing Wuya**

"I'm tired of all this monitoring and coming up with absolutely no results." Chase declared with a hint of irritation in his voice.

Within the main chamber of his palace, Chase Young motioned for his savage informant away. Although untamed and unable to speak fluently, the beast-man was deft at surveying enemies, a skill that Chase found most useful.

Since Omi left was left free, Chase Young has been spying on the Xiaolin Temple to find a weak point to bring about the fall of the Wudai Warriors. But to his dismay, he could not find a way to bring down all four.

"I could just steal the Lunar Locket and use it to sink Japan to the bottom of the ocean and drop the moon onto Texas and other rural areas, but that still leaves one monk whose weakness I can't exploit because I do not know it!" he yelled, his rage no longer in control.

"Why do you need to crush them all?" Wuya inquired as she entered the room, "Surely destroying three monks would render the fourth completely useless."

"No," Chase replied, "Although Omi is currently the strongest of the young monks, Raimundo has elemental potential that remains to be tapped. As for the remaining two monks, I'm sure being exposed to Omi's martial arts expertise and Raimundo's mastery of his element will boost their own skills as well. All four must be removed if I am too advance my conquest of the world. I will not repeat my mistakes. The one obstacle that stands before me is not knowing Raimundo's Achilles' heel. 'Something blue'… "

"Couldn't we just swipe the Fountain of Hui along with the Lunar Locket?" Wuya suggested, making no effort in hiding her eagerness to steal Shen Gong Wu.

"Yes…Yes! With the Fountain of Hui and the Eagle Scope, I could unlock this mystery and destroy the Xiaolin monks! I have said it before, but I really do like the way you think, Wuya. If both of us were not Heylin sorcerers working to shroud the world in eternal darkness, I would say that I love you."

"Well, Chase, if you care that much–"

"No Shen Gong Wu," Chase answered with an annoyed tone before she could ask. "The only one I am concerned with is the Fountain of Hui…"

Wuya's enthusiasm for the plan was immediately extinguished.

"I suppose neither of us know what 'love' is…"

Something clicked in her mind.

"'Love?' Chase, that's it! It's not WHAT's giving Raimundo strength, it's WHO's giving it to him. It's–"

Chase realized the direction of Wuya's words and a dark smile covered his face.

"Kimiko…"


	4. Voices

**Chapter 04: Voices**

"Raimundo, you must get up!"

Omi stood over Raimundo, who was still asleep in his curtained space that made up his "room". However, his was far from a peaceful slumber; Raimundo kept shifting around and speaking quick phrases to invisible beings in his mind.

Suddenly, Raimundo woke up, and rose into a sitting position while screaming his lungs out. It took a moment for him to take in his surroundings before he began to calm down. Something had been haunting him; His face was covered with tears mingled in sweat. He looked straight ahead and found Omi, who looked as if he had fainted from Rai's sudden outcry, but really just toppled over when Raimundo suddenly got up.

The bald monk scrambled to his feet and saw the mix of confusion and fear on Raimundo's grim face.

"Raimundo, what is wrong?" he wondered.

"It's nothing, Omi." Rai replied, "What's going on.?"

"The 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' has just revealed itself." Master Fung explained when all the Wudai Warriors had assembled. On the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu Dojo was holding, an animated man was summoning lighter drawn people who appeared to be floating in midair.

"The power of the 'Voice'," the sagely monk went on to explain, "is to summon any spirits still tied to the physical world, and gives you the ability to speak with them."

"There are real ghosts in the world?" Kimiko asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Of course there are. " Dojo replied. Kimiko squirmed and shifted her eyes frantically, thinking she might find ghost watching her with a perverse or hungry face. She gasped softly as a pair of hands wrapped around her waist.

The petite Japanese girl looked up, not to a specter, but her dear friend, Raimundo, who gave her a soft "It's ok." before returning his attention to Dojo. Kimiko became conflicted between kissing his cheek for his concern and slapping him for spooking her and invading her personal space. She determined it was probably best not to react at the current moment, but she couldn't help but notice Rai's kindness, the trait that the Bird of Paradise said was his greatest strength. And in his arms, she could feel that soothing strength that protected her from the chaos of the world.

"Wuya USED to be a ghost." Dojo said, stating the obvious and ripping Kimiko from her thoughts, "Twice, actually, but you all know that. But there are some spirits that remain bound to the world because of powerful emotions."

Raimundo cringed.

"These ghosts," the dragon continued to explain, "never seem to leave until they fulfill whatever's kept the from eternal rest. Some spirits remain for only a few days, others for 1500 years."

"It seems like a lot of things happened 1500 years ago." Raimundo stated, although still a little tense from Dojo's words.

"Indeed," Master Fung replied, "which is why we must find the 'Voice of Tao Tseung'. There are 1500 year old secrets, so of which are even older, that have been long forgotten by mankind, but not by these specters that still lurk in the shadows of the world. If the 'Voice' should fall into Heylin hands, well, I do not have to tell you the consequences…"

"1000 years of darkness." The four monks plus Dojo replied immediately.

"Actually, it's 1026 years, but rounding is fine."

"Master Fung," said Omi, "speaking of secrets of 1500 year old secrets, how is Master Monk Guan still alive and in the same health as so long ago? If it is as Dojo told us, Chase Young and Master Monk Guan are roughly the same age. But Chase Young once met Sabeeny, which means he is at least 1000 years old. How can Master Monk Guan still be alive after all this time if he did not drink the Lao Mei Long Soup as Chase Young did?"

"That, Omi," the old sage replied, "is a secret that only the 'Voice of Tao Tseung' can reveal. Now go and retrieve it before Wuya detects it revealing itself."

"What about that no-good varmint, Jack?" Clay asked.

"We need not worry about someone whose strongest weapon is the 'Monkey Staff'." Omi replied.


	5. Simple yet Complicated

**Chapter 05: Simple yet Complicated**

Traveling by classical dragon, the four monks sailed through the sky in search for the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'. At the front of the enormous lizard, Clay dreamt of roping cows leaping over the moon. Buried in Dojo's tail was Omi, bound and gagged by the 'Tangled Web Comb', courtesy of Raimundo. The Brazilian prayed that the thick teeth of the comb would keep the bald monk from continuing to ask about his Wudai aura. Somewhere in between the Texan and Chinese monks was Kimiko with Raimundo sitting right behind her.

The pair rode silently, both at a lost for words. Kimiko wanted not only to thank Rai for his concern earlier, but also to keep up the guessing game, which the rebel apparently did not want to be subjected to. Raimundo, on the other hand, was struggling not to blurt out his inner-most feelings: his love for her and desperate need to have Kimiko in his life.

A faint "Thank you" dropped him from his mind's fantasies and thoughts to reality, if being miles in the sky on top of a floating gecko can be considered reality. He looked down to see Kimiko blushing furiously and his own face followed suit shortly after.

"It's nothing." was the reply in a voice that would not have been heard had Kimiko not been 3 inches away.

"Rai," the girl started. Raimundo flinched every time she said that. The nickname wasn't unbearable, but it was something he could hear without the need to "spill his internal organs" as Omi might say.

She continued on, "What does you Wudai aura mean? If it's important to you," each word got progressively quieter, "then I'd like to know about it."

She finished the sentence in a tone that a dog would struggle to hear. But the whisper was carried by the wind and brushed Raimundo's ear and his heart as well. For the second time that day, his arms found their way around Kimiko's waist.

"I'll tell you someday…" he whispered into her ear.

Embraced by her best friend, Kimiko wanted nothing more than to remain soaring through the crowds in Raimundo's arms. But a sudden downturn and their ride's spiraling toward a British pasture. In the midst of the grassland was what appeared to be a stack of stone slabs constructing a circle.

"Stonehenge: dead ahead!" the dragon exclaimed.

"The 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' is connected to Stonehenge?" Kimiko asked, still groggy from her rude awakening from her thoughts.

"'Connected to it?'" Dojo wondered, "If I recall, the 'Voice' is the purpose of Stonehenge. During the Dark Ages, Stonehenge was used to magnify the power of the Shen Gong Wu and channel vast armies of spirits. But when the Wu went dormant, so did the rocks."

After Clay was awaken and Omi was freed from a curled set of teeth, the monks walked warily among the stones, in mortal fear of immortal spirits. In the center of Stonehenge, the monks saw light reflecting off a circular glass. The 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' was in their grasp. But as they approached, a swarm of Jackbots rained from the sky, although not as ominous as they once were.

"Wudai Orion Formation!"

Donning their Wudai silhouette skins, the monks leapt into battle. Omi swept the plains with his "Wudai Neptune Water", crushing and rusting all Jackbots leveled with the ground. Clay, however, decided to fight kung-fu cowboy style, using his earth gloves and boots with no other help from his element. Bot after bot found its own head in its hands or at least a few feet away as the Texan brawled his way through the horde. But a new herd of bronze robots stampeded him and trampled the mini water monk. But with a sudden burst of energy, Omi split the sea of Jackbots like Moses, although he had no idea who Moses was. Clay, tired of flailing his fists, sucked the remaining grounded robots into the earth's surface.

Miles above them, Raimundo was working on the Jackbots smart enough not to head for the ground. He diced them in half with razor winds, tearing through the Jackbots faster than Clay through a Thanksgiving turkey. His Wudai form blended him into the baby blue sky, save for the black filling of the aura.

Still on the ground, Kimiko watched Raimundo hooting as he rip through Jack's poor excuse for an army. The Brazilian boy's blue made her feel conflicted: it was enigmatic, yet familiar…

She broke her gaze as Jack Spicer broke her concentration.

"This Shen Gong Wu is mine!" the 'Evil Boy Genius' declared, "See you later, Xiaolin Losers!"

"Jack, why do you want to call ghosts?" Kimiko asked from the ground.

"GHOSTS!" Jack shrieked. Screaming his lungs out, Spicer dropped the Wu and flew off into the distance, fearful that contact with the 'Voice' unconsciously summoned specters to haunt him.

"That was easy…" stated Kimiko, catching the Wu as the other Wudai Warriors gathered around her and exited their Wudai transformations. The Shen Gong Wu looked like a circular mirror with a purple frame and crimsons tassels on its left and right sides.

"I thought the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' would look more like the 'Tongue of Saiping'?" Omi questioned.

"Yeah, this is about as different as Jesse and the family pig." said Clay.

Raimundo smirked. "You're pretty blind if you think those Shen Gong Wu are THAT close."

Steam shot out of Clay's ears, but Kimiko interrupted before the two could squabble.

"Mirrors are spiritual and mystical tools in Japanese mythology." she answered.

She looked into the mirror Shen Gong Wu and saw her own sea-filled eyes shining back at her. A thought crossed her mind, but she dismissed.

There was no way someone like Raimundo would fall for someone as plain as herself…

But she couldn't fight the euphoria that came hand-in-hand with the idea.

"So you retrieved the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'. I expected no less."

The monks whirled around to come face-to-face with none other than…

"Chase Young!" Omi exclaimed, his fury unrestrained, "Master Fung warned us you might come for the Shen Gong Wu. But you will have go through us first!"

"As easy as that sounds, I have come for reasons other than the mirror. At the current moment, I must speak with Raimundo."

"What do you want?" Raimundo demanded.

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you, young monk, especially when I could rip you away from your greatest treasure right now…"

To Rai's horrified face, he continued, "Yes, Wuya and I were able to deduce what it was that made you so powerful. And while we both have plans to exploit it, Wuya has much more…personal reasons to start early…

"Now that she's joined Hannibal Bean, I am certain that Hannibal knows as well, and possibly that nitwit Spicer. And the farther words travel, the more complicated things become."

"What do you want?" Kimiko asked hotly for Raimundo this time.

"To give you a warning. Eventually, both Wuya and I will return to make way for the Heylin side, starting with the removal of Raimundo and what he cares for most."

Raimundo stepped in before Kimko could argue; The fire within her was growing beyond even her control.

"You wouldn't dare!" He roared.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Chase responded in a voice as casual as if the were talking about how sunny it was. "You will have plenty of time to prepare before I strike, although I cannot say the same for Wuya and Hannibal. Grow strong enough to defeat them and elevated your powers to the next level! The challenge will be worth the wait…Perhaps you'll surpass even Omi…"

And with those words, Chase Young vanished into the wind, leaving Kimiko, Raimundo, and Omi embittered by reasons unique to each of them…


	6. The Pedrosas

**Chapter 06: The Pedrosas**

Shrouded by the shadows casted by the night sky, a figure kept silently out of the Shen Gong Wu Vault, the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' and 'Golden Tiger Claws' tucked under his arm. He crept through the night, careful not to trigger any of the temple's security alarms hidden among the statues and shrubs. Unknown to him, however, another stalker of the night had followed his progress in and out of the Vault, careful to blend herself into the background.

"Golden Tiger Claws!" Raimundo said in a hushed, yet audible tone.

Through the portal he went, oblivious of Kimiko, who left the haven of the shadows to continue to pursue the boy.

Although this was her first time following him, it wasn't the first time Kimiko had noticed Rai leaving the temple in the dead of the night. She had remained behind at the Xiaolin Temple during these voyages, but the fact he brought the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' with him made her even more curious as to where he was heading. So now she became one with Raimundo's shadow, mimicking his every movement as he continued on his journey.

Tumbling down the tiger's hole, Raimundo fell out into a grim keep of forgotten souls. He heard a soft "Oof!" behind him, but when he turned around, he found no one.

As quickly as she had left the night's cover, Kimiko had just as quickly returned back under it. She moved into the scenery before Raimundo could catch her; Suspicion wouldn't be a problem had she not landed on her stomach after being spat out by the Golden Tiger Claws' dimensional rip.

She looked around at the setting, only to be overcome with the same fear she felt when the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' revealed itself. Raimundo had taken them both to a graveyard, littered with plots and monuments to citizens of Rio who have passed away. Even though occasional graves appeared to have been disturbed, she saw Raimundo in the middle of the cemetery, completely unphased by his current environment. No way could he have transported both of them, or at least himself, to this place on purpose.

Kimiko peeled her eyes from the ghastly surroundings and watched Raimundo, the only breathing Brazilian in the area, using the' Voice'.

As a pair of spirits manifested themselves before the two Wudai warriors, Kimiko unconsciously let out a soft gasp. Raimundo looked over his should, but the Japanese girl was able to hide behind a tombstone before he could see her.

Raimundo turned his head back to the pair of ghosts, a man and woman lightly tanned with emerald eyes, both in their mid-40s and their hands interlocked, even though neither could physically feel the other. Despite the fact Raimundo had demanded their presence from out of the blue, they looked at him with such compassion that Rai mistook them for being alive.

Raimundo shook off the thought with difficulty and spoke, "The reason I asked you guys to come here is…"

He struggled to find the words. There was no way he could say what he wanted to.

"Yes, dear?" asked the female specter.

"…I-I wanted to…" Rai stuttered, "…to tell you…that you can…can go…on…" He was in tears by the time he left.

Both ghosts looked appalled for a brief moment, but smiles returned to their faces.

"Are you sure, Raimundo?" asked the translucent man.

"You know we don't want to leave until you're strong enough to take care of yourself." his companion stated.

"We did leave when you were at a vulnerable age. We just want to make sure you'll be ok."

"I'll be fine." Raimundo said through his tears, "I'll be ok."

Though salty tears still rolled down his face, he smiled.

"Cause now I have someone to protect. Someone who I treasure with all my heart and I want to be strong enough to take care of, not just myself. And I'll become strong enough to. I promise you that. And that's why it's ok for you to leave…"

The grins on both spirits grew wider and they embraced the Brazilian boy or at least to the best of their ability. Still, the 'hug' gave Raimundo a comfort he had forgotten two years ago.

"You are strong, Raimundo. In many different ways." said the spectral man.

"And even though we'll be going on to the afterlife, we'll always be with you. Remember that." said the ghost's lover.

And with a soft "Good-bye" and "I love you" from both parties, the ghosts faded away, passing on to the afterlife for all eternity. Still smiling, Raimundo wiped his face clean with his tears and called out into the darkness.

"Kimiko, you can come out now!"

Sheepishly and embarrassed more than Omi with his pants down, Kimiko crept out from behind the tombstone and into the open.

"Sorry," she said as she walked toward her friend.

"Don't worry about it." was his reply, his smile never faltering for a moment.

"Rai, who were those people?"

And the smile broke, collapsing not into a frown or tears, but into a struggle to say the words.

"My parents…"

In response to Kimiko's mortified gasp, Raimundo continued with the explanation, "About 2 years ago, before any of us except Omi came to the temple, I used to live with my family back in Rio. Huge family. Good times. But then there was an… accident and my parents were taken from my siblings and me. So I came to the temple because I had nowhere else to go."

"I thought you had 8 brothers and sisters? And a whole bunch of aunts and uncles? None of them could take care of you?"

Raimundo looked as if he had been slapped by her words, so she quickly said, "I mean, I don't mean I wish you'd stayed in Brazil. I'm glad you came to the temple. If you hadn't come, I'd…"

But the sentence never finished. Kimiko was now asking herself where all these feelings for Raimundo were coming from.

"It's ok." Rai said, now smirking back at her, "It's not that they couldn't take care of me, it was more like I couldn't take care of myself. I was the only one not strong enough to come to grips with them leaving. So I came to the temple and have been visiting them every now and them. Never actually thought they stayed behind though…"

He looked on the verge of tears, under the impression it was his fault his parents were denied eternal rest. But in a swift motion, Kimiko, not Raimundo this time, took him in her arms into a warm embrace. A stronger comfort than closure overtook him and he returned the hug.

A "Thank you" brushed Kimiko's ear, and her face turned a shade of red that matched their temple robes. But being there in each other's arms felt right for her. Perhaps Rai meant more to her than she had thought…

While they were the only living beings still in the cemetery, they found some peace together there, oblivious to the camera-eyed crow setting off into the background.


	7. Villians' Interlude

**Chapter 07: Villains' Interlude**

Wings spread out to their full extent, the crow set off from the cemetery, leaving the behind the two monks and their growing feelings for one another. But as it glided above the trees of a neighboring forest, a translucent beam snatched it from the air and dragged it below the trees. The bird fought to no avail until thin fingers wrapped around its body. From his abode, Chase Young saw through the crow's eyes the figure of his ex-partner in evil, the stolen 'Ruby of Ramses' in her other hand, and on her shoulder, the one who brought him to the Heylin side.

"Now, Chase," Hannibal began, sounding as if his black heart had been touched, "I had no idea you were a fan of this Raimundo/Kimiko story."

Chase Young spoke into the monitoring eye ingrained into his floor, and his voice resonated from the bird in Wuya's hand. "Just about a big a fan as you, Hannibal. What do you want?"

"Chase, that hurts. I am, after all, the one that made you what you are…" he reminded Chase, who flinched at these words. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you've allowed the monks to obtain the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng', did you not?"

"Well, seeing as to how you just witness one of them using the Shen Gong Wu, I'd have to say 'Yes'. But why so much interest, Hannibal? Don't tell me you're afraid of some spirit from 1500 years ago."

"Of course not. If anyone's at the mercy of the Shen Gong Wu it's you and Wuya. You know what will happen if they call THAT spirit."

"I do, which is why I left it under their protection. Only you and possibly the powerless hag you're using as a pack mule would know the whereabouts of that soul. And I trust that after you stole half their Shen Gong Wu, the monks will be more cautious over their toys, especially one as powerful as the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'."

"Aw, ain't that sweet? You're putting all your faith into those gullible runts. Well, that explains the 'Voice', but I still can't help but wonder why you revealed to Raimundo we knew his weakness? Seems to me like you're leaning back toward your old self…"

"But that would require a mirror or a yo-yo. It's like you said, Hannibal, I put my faith in them. I will let the monks prepare and crush you into oblivion. And when you and you lamentable excuse for a partner are wiped off this planet, it will be my turn to seize control."

"Well, Chase, I hate to tear your dreams down, but I don't plan on losing to a talking bobble-head and his posse. But if you want to change your plans, you'd better do it quick. Because soon, both Kimiko and Raimundo will be out of the picture."

Chase Young's connection to his surveying bird was suddenly severed. The last things he heard from the other end were "Moby Morpher!" and a laugh that shook the world.


	8. Troubled Training

**Chapter 08: Troubled Training  
**

As the residents of the Xiaolin Temple rose with the sun, Kimiko and Raimundo returned from an evening among the deceased. Reaching the "rooms" as quietly as mice, they found the other monks' rooms abandoned. Realizing training would begin soon, they headed out at a speed that would put the 'Shard of Lightning' to shame.

Both of them joined Master Fung, Omi, and Clay at the obstacle course, completely exhausted from a restless night and sudden need to haul their behinds.

"I am glad the two of you decided to join us this morning." Master Fung said, keeping a neutral face and tone towards their late arrival.

Before either of the tardy warriors could give an excuse, Omi decided to give his two cents by declaring, "Perhaps Raimundo think he is above training because he is 'so strong'."

"Omi, what are you talking about?" questioned the hurt Brazilian.

"I do not believe you can surpass me!" Omi yelled in the same pitch as when Jermaine said blamed Omi for losing the 'Manchurian Musca'. "Not when you skip training, ignore your chores, and don't donate fertilizer!"

"I think you mean I 'don't give a sh-'" Raimundo began to correct.

"Raimundo!"

Master Fung decided it was time to intervene. "Omi, you must not allow Chase Young's words to get the best of you."

"I will not allow words to, Master Fung," Omi stated, still irritated by the situation, "nor will I allow Raimundo when he has shown the weakest will and judgment out of the four of us!"

"Enough! I had originally planned to hone your Wudai elements, but with so much anger and uncontrollable power flowing from you, I believe we must take another course of action."

"Well, if we can't fight each other, how 'bout someone else?" Clay asked.

Kimiko asked for everyone. "Like who?"

"The 'Sapphire Dragon'", Master Fung declared, revealing the soot-covered Shen Gong Wu, "I shall activate and release it at the base of Mount Hong. Fear not," he added to their panicked faces, "for I will control it using the 'Emperor Scorpion' Shen Gong Wu. Your task will be to stop the 'Dragon' using only your martial art skills and Wudai elements. You may not help each other unless it is a mortal situation requiring dire attention. As an extra incentive for competition, whoever is able to stop the beast will not have chores for the next week; instead, the three that do not succeed will perform the chores of the winner."

"Oh, yeah," Kimiko said with a tone of confidence and smirk on her face, "this is my kind of challenge. Soot from my element plus the 'Sapphire Dragon' equals a free week for me."

"Thank you for reminding me, Kimiko. The 'Sapphire Dragon' will be equipped with the 'Black Beetle'."

Kimiko eagerness deflated, but the four Wudai Warriors agreed to the challenge. As Kimiko and Clay left for the forest below the mountain, however, Omi and Raimundo were retained by Master Fung.

"Raimundo," the veteran warrior said, "as the Bird of Paradise told you, your greatest strength is your kindness toward others. However, I understand that you would like to protect a certain 'friend', but the purpose of the exercise is to master your personal element individually. If you truly want to help, you will not interfere."

His words received a polite "I understand, Master Fung." before the teen jetted off toward the others. Master Fung then turned his head to Omi.

"Young monk, although Raimundo acts and thinks differently than you do, he means no harm. You should not be jealous of the fact that the Heylin army aims to attack him and the one he loves most."

With a "Yes, Master." Omi joined the other monks in the forest, leaving Master Fung to ponder how being under Chase Young's command may have affected Omi.


	9. A New Kind of Blue

**Chapter 09: A New Kind of Blue**

At the foot of Mount Hong, Raimundo scanned the woods for any signs of the predator Shen Gong Wu. He thought a haunting, blue dragon would stand out in the groves, but the beast was proving to be extremely elusive. Occasionally, he would catch glimpses of the others shooting through the trees, but the rest of his surroundings seemed foreign, even though he had spent the last two years living on the border of the expansive forest.

After the sun had risen for the third time since the exercise began, Raimundo found his way into a clearing, a lustrous pasture blanketed with wildflowers for every section of the color spectrum. The serene breeze draped around him like a warm blanket on a quiet winter night. He had only a few minutes to absorb the tranquility before a roar from behind signaled the approach of the creature he had spent the last few days in search of.

Once the dragon had wound its way into the enclosed field, it made a lunge for the monk, who leapt into the air and activated his elemental powers with a booming "Wudai Star Wind!" Deciding it was best to keep a distance between his target and himself, Raimundo soared threw the sky, dodging blasts with the power to petrify him into pure sapphire.

"Enough!" he told the 'Dragon', "Shut it!"

With a great gust of wind, he extinguished the beast's flames and flung a tree at its head with another surge of element-summoning. His body had taken a toll from all the energy he put into his elemental powers, but the 'Dragon' remained still beneath the uprooted willow. Through the rim of trees surrounding the pasture, Clay emerged with a grin on his face.

"Hey, Rai, we've gotta return to the temple n- What in tarnation!" he exclaimed as the 'Sapphire Dragon' rose up from beneath the log.

"Stay back, Clay!" Raimundo told him. "I'll take care of this!"

"Raimundo, you don't understand! Kimiko beat the 'Sapphire Dragon' half an hour ago! She soaked the soot through the 'Black Beetle' like a turkey slice in a bucket full of gravy."

"What! Are you sure!"

"Dead sure, partner." The Texan replied, revealing the 'Sapphire Dragon' Shen Gong Wu, now reduced to a dormant bobble.

"If that's the 'Sapphire Dragon', then what the heck is this thing?" demand Rai, looking up at the dragon gazing down at them.

"Now, why did you have go and ruin the surprise?" the dragon inquired. And with in a split-second, the beast transformed into…

"Hannibal Bean!" Rai exclaimed. To Clay he bid, "Go back to the temple and get the others!"

As Clay sped off toward the Xiaolin Temple, Hannibal used the 'Moby Morpher' to grow to the size of Tubbimura. Raimundo rushed the inflated pod, burying his fist into him before being thrown across the clearing by one of Hannibal's sprout arms. His reflex commandeering control of his body from his brain, Raimnudo rolled out of the way as the bean slammed into the spot where he had land. Seizing the opportunity, Raimundo tackled Hannibal Roy Bean to the ground and began smashing into the villain with all his might.

Bean flicker for a moment, and an instant later he assumed the form of Clay, who said, "Raimundo, if you hit me again, I'm gonna make you hurt you more than Jack Spicer wearing a red cape during the bull-riding portion of a rodeo."

"Stop with the farm analogies!" Raimundo yelled, punching the doppelganger Clay's face, just as Kimiko and the real Clay entered the clearing.

"Raimundo, you must cease hitting me before I am forced to bring you your lunch." Hannibal said, replacing his Clay disguise with an Omi one.

"Speak English! And it's 'before you get served'!" demanded Raimundo before burrowing through the fake Omi's stomach with his fist.

A moment later, Hannibal transformed into Master Fung Rai and scolded, "Raimundo, you must learn to control your anger."

His anger and irritation at its greatest ever, Rai bellowed before slamming his fist down again, "What kind of bed is a floor mat!"

But his assault stopped a second later as Kimiko lay beneath him, tears in her eyes as she begged him "You wouldn't hurt me, would you, Rai?" Raimundo paused, his arm in the air, ready and willing to beat whatever the sadistic bean was filled with, but his heart froze every muscle in his body. Even if it wasn't really her, how could he bring himself to hit Kimiko?

The clone Kim took smirked at Raimundo and rolled him over, both hands on his chest and a twisted smile defiling her face.

"Wudai Mars Fire!" she shrieked as her hands began to burn into Raimundo. But a scarlet jolt of lightning rescued him, sweeping Hanni-Kim to the ground. Raimundo rose to find Omi standing in front of him in his usual battle-ready and eager to fight attitude.

"Even if Chase Young believes you to be a stronger warrior than I, I cannot allow my friends to be beaten be a gigantic bean!"

"Good thing he came to rescue you," Hannibal told Raimundo, his original form now showing, "because I personally don't think you could've saved yourself. Poor Raimundo can't even bring himself to punch someone who ever looks like the girl he l-"

"SHUT UP, YOU SHAPE-SHIFTING FREAKSHOW!" bellowed Raimundo before he charged once more to attack the evildoer. But from behind, he heard a malevolent voice telling him, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Raimundo spun around to find Wuya standing over Clay' barely conscious body, Kimiko knocked out and tucked limp under her arm.

"Not if you want to protect you precious little 'treasure'."

"Put her down, Wuya!"

"Sorry, Raimundo, but we have so many things on our To-Do list. We really must be going." the Heylin witch said with a smile before leaping onto her partner in evil, who became a phoenix as she spoke.

The bird flapped its enormous wings once and took flight, Kimiko in tow. Leaving the ground, Raimundo chased after them, and with all the rage, energy, and power left in him he bellowed "Xiaolin Soul Wind!"

Mount Hong and its surroundings were engulfed by a violent tempest with winds that dissolved the mountain into dust. The once calm breezes of the clearing ripped the surrounding trees from the ground and deposited them into a tornado that drilled far enough into the earth's crust that it drew magma to the surface.

Standing behind an earthy wall Clay had made to shield them from the magma, the two Wudai Warriors still on the ground looks up in disbelief.

"Holy Bessie!" cried Clay, unable to peel his eyes from the destructive force Raimundo had accidentally unleashed from his loss of control. Omi, on the other hand, was at a loss for words and when he finally spoke, it was in a stupefied whisper.

"Dragon level powers…?"

But Wuya's voice calling out "Serpent's Tail!" told Raimundo that the storm would not stop them, and too exhausted to fly after them, he fell to the ground. As the villains left, he could hear the laughs carried and magnified by the winds drifting from the dispelled hurricane.

"KIMIKO!"


	10. Chasing After Her

**Chapter 10: Chasing After Her**

"Raimundo, you have not eaten in three days."

Omi sat on the steps of the Xiaolin Temple watching Raimundo with a mix of confusion, awe, worry, and jealousy. How someone the size of a plastic garden gnome could feel so much and not explode was beyond any of the temple residents' comprehension. But Raimundo had been training without sleep, food, or breaks, save for the stones he practiced on; His body and elemental energy were beyond their limits now, but he pressed on.

"It's been three days since Kimiko was taken away." he told the dwarf monk. "And I'm not going to stop until I'm strong enough to bring her back."

With a snap of his fingers, he created a clone of Wuya composed of leaves, dust, and other materials drawn from the ground. And with a sudden burst of air, he destructed it into nothing, tearing it apart with his element with more ferocity than Chase Young's feral minions. But his body was taxed from overuse, and he couldn't go on in his jaded state. But as he got up to practice once more, a voice carried on the wind diverted his attention.

"Once more and there won't be anything left of you to save the girl."

With a flash of lightning, Chase Young appeared before the two, a grim look masking his causal demeanor. From his expression, Chase apparently found the situation as unnerving as Raimundo.

"As dedicated as you may be, pushing further will destroy your mind, as well as your body."

Raimundo took a moment to realize the identity of the spontaneous visitor before lunging at his, whatever internal strength he could muster focused into his fist. But before his punch could even connect to Chase's body, the Heylin warrior flung aside with his compactable staff.

"I have not come to fight you, but rather, offer a hand with your current ordeal." Chase told him.

"And just why would you do that?" Raimundo demanded. "Why not just join Hannibal like any other villain?"

"Because like you, I wish to get rid of that irksome plant as soon as possible." was the response her received. "No doubt you're as eager as I am to stop him."

"And why exactly do you need me? Why not just storm wherever that reject's hiding and take him out yourself?"

"Because he's planning to come after you soon. And what better way to remove than train his target to destroy him?"

Somewhere along the series of questions, Omi became lost and made himself satisfied with just watching. Raimundo, on the other hand, was less than eager to continue his conversation with Chase. Kimiko was being used as a tool by Hannibal, and now Chase was planning to use him as well.

"I know you are doubting me, Raimundo," the fallen warrior said, "but I need to attack Bean as soon as possible. Some…'property' of mine has been stolen and I would very much like to get it back…Now all that remains is whether or not you accept my aid. Within a week, I can train you to wield you powers like a titled Xiaolin Dragon, and all I ask for is an exchange of sorts."

Trick or not, Raimundo knew Chase Young had shaped Jermaine from a street-rat into a martial artist of unbelievable skill. A number of his dubious thoughts faltered, and Chase Young exploited the opportunity.

"Wouldn't you like to get Kimiko back before Hannibal uses her as a puppet for his own plans?"

Overcome by rage, Raimundo submitted, "Fine. As long as nothing happens to Kimiko."

"No, Raimundo, you mustn't!" Omi said, finally coming out of his position as spectator, "Kimiko is strong; she will be fine. And although I worry as much for her safety as you do, that does not mean you should join Chase Young to rescue her!"

"Yes, it does, Omi! The reason I'm going and you're staying behind is because you don't understand why I'm so worried for her!" Raimundo said hotly.

"And for what reason are you willing to put yourself, the WORLD, in danger for!" Omi asked, his anger getting the best of him.

"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!"

And with those four words, Raimundo vanished with Chase to bring Kimiko home.


	11. What is this Love?

**Chapter 11: What is this "Love"?**

"Well, partner, it's uh…um…"

Clay, like the rest of the residents of the Xiaolin Temple, was unnerved by Omi's persistent questioning almost as much as Raimundo joining Chase Young's crusade against Hannibal. "Love" was something that would be almost impossible for an orphan of a limited reality like Omi to comprehend.

"See now, love is…complicated really…" the Texan trailed off.

Dojo reasoned it was better to consult a dictionary. "Love is 'a deep, tender, ineffable affection and solitude toward a person…'." He looked up with complete disappointment. "Ironically, 'ineffable' is probably the best definition for 'love'."

"Omi," Clay stated, "Raimundo likes Kimiko more than you or me or Dojo or anybody else, and I hope she feels the same."

"You believe Kimiko likes herself more than anyone? That is most conceited of her." Omi pondered.

"No, lil buddy, that's not what I meant." Omi's weak grasp of the concept was ironically causing Clay to gag.

"You see, Omi," Dojo began, "there comes a time in every boy's life when-"

Clay cut him off. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself there, Dojo."

Clay reflected slowly on their past escapades to form an answer that Omi could understand. There was the subtle bond between himself and Jesse, but their sibling rivalry was probably not the best of examples. There was Wuya's obsession with Chase before she was returned to her fleshy form, but that was just plain wrong.

"I think I got it!" he declared. "Omi, there are two kinds of love: 'family-love' and uh…'love-love'. 'Family-love' would be the way you feel about people in your family, like Kimiko and Mr. Tohomiko or you when you thought you were 'Omi Crud'."

"Oh, I see." said the novelty sized living cueball, "so I 'love' Master Fung?"

"Yeah, I guess," Clay said, "He is your adoptive father, I suppose. "Now, 'love-love' would be the kind of emotions you felt during that rodeo we had with Dyris."

"Grotesque horror and disgust?" Omi questioned. "I understand Kimiko can be aggressive at times, but that is rather cruel of Raimundo to think that…"

"No no, Omi." Clay told him, "I mean before we found out she was a monster: when we were all under the impression she was a beautiful maiden."

"So…Raimundo believes that Kimiko is beautiful and not a bloated demon?"

"Right. Rai 'loves' her cause he thinks she's the most beautiful and important person in the world to him. Now that I think about it, his aura's the same color as her eyes…Blue isn't a natural eye color for Oriental folk." He looked down at Omi's beady eyes. Both were pure black…

"Clay, do I 'love' Kimiko?"

"Well, I guess in the family sort of way…"

"No, I mean, do I love Kimiko the same way that Raimundo loves her? More than the 'family' kind of love?"

A part of Clay anticipated a question like this, but he was still at a lost of words. Omi, like the rest of humanity, didn't fully understand all the concepts of love, but Kimiko was, after all, the only girl he had ever met not bent on world domination, save that Yo-Yo showdown with Wuya.

"I…don't know, partner…I mean…maybe?"

The Dragon of Earth began to walk off, afraid that further conversation will rekindle Omi's rivalry with and loathing for Raimundo. His progress away was hampered by Omi's questioning once more.

"Clay, do you really believe that Kimiko would love Raimundo?"

"Well…Yeah, Omi, I do..."

And with Clay gone, Omi was left to ponder his own thoughts beside Dojo, who was reading a biology textbook. It was true, Kimiko was someone special to him, who gave him encouragement and comforting "girl-hugs". And Raimundo was a slacking jokester, undeserving of Kimiko's attention or affection. But Omi had just learned what love is; Possibly some of the feelings he couldn't identify before were actually this "love"…

His face fell with the thought of Kimiko and Raimundo, slowly turning to anger and jealously before becoming confused by a random thought.

"Dojo," he inquired from the mystical snake with appendages still at his side, "earlier, when you said that something happens to boys of a certain age, did you mean that they 'leap on love'?"

"Um…Sure, Omi," Dojo said, his eyes shifting left and right for an exit, "They fall in love…Don't look into it any further than that."

And with those words, he slithered off, leaving Omi to sort his emotions.


	12. Reunion

**Chapter 12: Reunion**

"Next stop: The 'Conversion Clay!"

Atop of Dojo, miles in the sky, the monks were in hot pursuit of a newly revealed Shen Gong Wu. Master Fung was unnerved by the 'Conversion Clay', as it was identified, bidding them to retrieve it regardless of the fact half the monks were not present. "This Shen Gong Wu must be retrieved at all costs, even if certain allies are lost in a fog of judgment." He told them before they took off.

"Dojo," Omi asked while sitting on the reptile's head, "do you mean that Clay can transform without the 'Moby Morpher'?"

"Not Clay-Clay, but earth-clay. Well, not Dragon of Earth Clay, but…aw, forget it. This Wu is a lump of moldable earth that can be shaped into whatever form the possessor chooses. More importantly, it can be animated, not by the 'Heart of Jong', but by placing a summoned spirit into it. This Wu is really only trouble when combined with other Wu…"

"How do you figure, Dojo?" Clay wondered.

"Well, whoever uses the 'Serpent's Tail' can shape themselves a new body made of earth; Combined with the 'Ring of Nine Dragons' and 'Voice of Tao Tsueng', however, you could create a physical army of spirits in clay shells. Wuya and Hannibal must have wanted to get rid of Kimiko and Raimundo before the 'Conversion Clay' was revealed because only their elements can actually stop it."

"Of course," Omi thought aloud, "Fire can harden the clay and Wind can erode it into dust…"

"…while Earth would give it sustenance and Water would make it about as flexible and slippery as a small hog wrestling in the mud." Clay finished for him.

"I guess," Dojo said, "but we have to hurry: If Wuya and Hannibal go after the Wu, we might find Kimiko. And if we find Kimiko, we'll probably find Raimundo, too."

"Don't worry, Kimiko, I'm coming for you." Omi said quietly to himself. And in a much darker tone, "I am coming for you as well, Raimundo…"

After spotting the hunted Wu, Dojo made a sharp turn as the Yin-Ying Bird, enlarged by the Moby Morpher, bomb-dived toward the mystical item, narrowly missing the dragon's eye before he swerved. Both the bird and the lizard slammed into the ground a few yards from the Wu.

Getting to his feet, Omi surveyed the area around him. Clay and Dojo were standing, dazed and bruised, but at least still conscious. To his right, Wuya posed in the distance, Hannibal and the Ying-Ying Bird on separate shoulders and Kimiko quietly standing behind her. To his left, Raimundo and Chase Young stood patiently for the arrival of the monks and other half of the Heylin side. And far above them, rushing toward the ground as fast as he could, was Jack Spicer, soon to be defeated and screaming like a frightened little girl.

"Wuya, who are all these people?"

Everyone's heads turned to the Japanese girl, whose curiosity was apparent in her crimson eyes. Kimiko, dressed in black robes, looked up at the Heylin witch for an answer.

"These people, dear, have come for you. To kidnap you and brainwash you to their side." Wuya replied.

"Then let's get rid of 'em and continue on with WORLD DOMINATION, BABY!"

"Hey, that's my line!" Jack Spicer yelled indignantly as he set foot on the earth's surface.

"Dojo," Omi asked, "what has happened to Kimiko?"

A few feet away, Chase Young told them, "Apparently, Wuya took the 'Wushan Geyser' along with all the Shen Gong Wu she stole from you, young monks."

"She's also been through the Ying-Yang World." Dojo chipped in. "Look at her eyes; They're red instead of blue!"

"But we've got the 'Ying-Yang Yo-Yo' back at the temple, Dojo." Clay reminded him, "How could she have gone through without the Wu?"

"Well, the Ying-Ying Bird is only supposed to be able to pass through once. Heylin masters can open the portal, but in doing so, lose a large amount of their powers for eternity. Chase Young did it once to Hannibal Bean, and thankfully, is not as powerfully as he once was. I imagine Hannibal must have spent all his powers to send Kimiko through the Ying-Yang World and bring her back out. Without the 'Moby Morpher', he's virtually useless."

"I can say the same thing about Kimiko," Hannibal stated with a sadistic grin. "Even if her chi's returned, what good is a monk without memories?"

"Why, you malevolent son of a b-" Raimundo bellowed.

"Down, young warrior," Chase Young commanded, holding the Dragon of the Wind back with one arm. "Kimiko's memories can be restored if you can pilfer the 'Reversing Mirror' from that witch" he said, tilting his head in Wuya's direction.

"That hurts, Chase." Wuya said in a voice of false pain.

"That's it; Keep talking!" Jack exclaimed, "The Wu is mine!"

Everyone ripped themselves from the conversation to find Jack sprinting for the 'Conversion Clay'. From different directions, Kimiko, Omi, and Raimundo leapt forward, landing with a hand on the Wu just as Jack reached it.

Disappointed, Jack said, "Man, I'm gonna keep my mouth shut next time."

"I challenge you all to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Kimiko announced. "Battle Royale: Last one standing in the shifting arena wins!"

"I don't care what Shen Gong Wu are wagered as long as Kimiko bets the 'Reversing Mirror'!" Raimundo declared.

"I will win the 'Reversing Mirror' for her, Raimundo!" Omi snapped, "You are heading up!"

"I think the talking melon means 'You're going down'," Spicer said. "A fight for Kimiko sound great though." he finished with a smile.

"Remember when you said you should keep you mouth shut from now on?" Raimundo replied. "SHUT IT!"

"Fine," the boy genius retorted indignantly, "I wager…What do I have anymore?" His eyes darted down a list of Shen Gong Wu, most of which were crossed off when they were lost. "The 'Tongue of Saiping'? What am I supposed to do with that? Fine, whatever…I wager the 'Tongue of Saiping'…"

"I wager the 'Orb of Tornami'!" Omi told the others.

"Hey, big boy," Kimiko said to Raimundo, "want me to bet the 'Mirror'? I can make your dreams come true if you offer something I want?"

Raimundo was taken aback by the way the love his of life was talking to him, as well as by the fact that she was talking about his dreams. Grabbing a hold of himself, he inquired, "Like what?"

"How about the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'?"

"Fine. Let's go!"

And with a "Xiaolin Showdown!", the three monks plus Jack prepared for the challenge, enraged and tense.

After all, all four of them were playing for Kimiko.


	13. Showdown for Her Soul

**Chapter 13: Showdown for Her Soul**

"Xiaolin Showdown!"

The 'Conversion Clay' morphed into a ring the size of a football stadium and rose far above the surface of the earth, carrying the four challengers to the same level as the clouds. Great stone pillars brought the bystanders to a height above the ring, allowing them to survey the battle in its entirety.

"GONG YI TAMPAI!" roared the three warriors plus Jack.

The cry lost its meaning of respect and honor, now assuming a more desperate definition. Raimundo couldn't lose this showdown without losing the only girl he truly loved.

"Wudai Mars Fire!" Kimiko cried, leaping farther into the air and hurling a projectile inferno that threatened to engulf the field.

"Wudai Neptune Water!" Omi said, trying to counter her attack, barely dousing it while shards of ice shot through the blending layers of fire and water in an attempt to knock the Japanese girl out of the air.

"Xiaolin Soul Wind!" Raimundo roared, scattering the flames and fragments of frost.

"Spicer Chicken Run!" Jack screamed, running across the flat battlefield to avoid being pieced by ice or burned by embers.

Kimiko, noticing the moving target below her, shot to toward the expanded Shen Gong Wu to chase down the boy genius. Omi and Raimundo, however, continued to grapple above them all, forming fists of wind and water that sliced through the air.

Like the Heylin Omi whose powers were boosted by his dark soul, the Chinese Monk unleashed his full elemental power, creating waterspout body with knuckle-claw hands that would put Wolverine of the X-Men to shame. With a mighty swing, he flung the Brazilian teen back into the clay. Upon Raimundo's impact, the 'Conversion Clay' beneath the contestants broke into four platforms suspended in midair.

Omi's tsunami armor lunged for the thin stage Rai rested on, hand outstretched and ready to do away with him. With a spontaneous surge of energy, Raimundo summoned a typhoon that diced the aqua shell into billions of water droplets. With Omi stunned, Raimundo leapt forward, grabbing the mini-monk by the leg and flinging him to the planet miles below.

"One down…" the Dragon of the Wind muttered. He looked down at the platforms and saw Jack leaping off the edge to avoid being burnt to a crisp by Miss Tohomiko's relentless barrage of fireballs.

"Crap…"

Kimiko bolted fist-first toward the Brazilian, who moved in one fluent motion, dodging her punch, grabbing her waist, and pulling her to his chest. His arms wrapped around her and her stomach, rendering her attempts to elbow his guts futile.

"Are you really gonna hurt me, Rai?" she asked in the same false-sweet voice as before.

"I'll try to end this as soon as possible…" he replied, a faint smile on his face. "I'm sorry…"

And summoning the last of his powers, he called forth a great tornado to surround them. He let go of his love and watched grimly as the twister snatched her up and deposited her outside the eye. She fell past the clay platforms and headed the same way as Jack and Omi.

The showdown was over.

After the arena returned the monks and Heylin masters to reality, Raimundo immediately called forth the 'Reversing Mirror' to dispel the 'Wushan Geysers' on Kimiko, who had caught unconscious before she connected with the ground.

The petite Japanese fluttered her eyes open to find herself cradle in her crush's arms, his face smiling down at her with relief. Her cheeks flushed a red as bright as her Wudai aura.

"Rai?" she asked the world, hoping for some confirmation that she wasn't dreaming.

"It's me, Kim." he reassured her, and without planning or expecting to, he bent down and stole a kiss from her lips. Even thought both elementalists had squandered their powers in the showdown, the embrace was still as warm and passionate as fire, yet as gentle and soothing as the wind.

A few feet away, Omi peeled his eyes from the kissing monks and stared at the ground as if his right shoe was undeniably fascinating.

"Don't be so down, Omi." Clay told him. "You should be happy for Kim and Raimundo."

"I am," the yellow monk responded glumly, "It is just that Kimiko is Raimundo's, and as always, I am the one who's alone…"

"You still got me, partner. As a friend, at least."

Omi perked up a little. "Yes…Yes! I still have my good friend Clay! Clay, do I 'love' you?"

"Uh…I hope not…"

The Wind and Fire warriors broke apart reluctantly.

"Love ya, Kim." Raimundo whispered to her softly.

"I love you too, Rai." she told him before pressing her head into his warm chest, the beat of his heart lulling her to sleep. The "blue strength" that fueled his heart and soul finally revealed itself.

It was her.

Maybe her red aura could stand for love from now on…

But their tranquil reprieve was interrupted by one Chase Young.

"Pardon me, but I believe there is a great deal of business that still needs to be taken care of…"


	14. From One Battle to Another

**Chapter 14: From One Battle to Another**

The four monks were ripped from their shared bliss to turn to Chase Young, whose face was plastered by a twisted smile. To the side, Wuya and Hannibal watched with jaded expressions, and Jack Spicer took the opportunity to sneak off unnoticed.

"Fine. What is it that you want, Chase?" Raimundo asked, barely able to restrain the sudden rush of anger from within.

"Change of plans: You take out the hag." The Heylin warrior replied, smirking, "I'll crush the plant…"

Raimundo gently set his sweet treasure on her feet, kissed her lightly on the forehead, and turned to Omi, tossing him the newly acquired Shen Gong Wu.

"Omi," he began, with a seriousness that contradicted his usually playful manner, "take the 'Conversion Clay' and shape it into a copy of Dashi's puzzle box."

"Why should we use the Shen Gong Wu for-" Omi started to ask before the Brazilian cut him off.

"Don't ask questions. Just do it…"

After Omi activated the Wu to morph into a earthen mimic of the puzzle box Dashi gave him 1500 years ago, Raimundo pulled out the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng' and held it out so that Wuya could see her reflection in it.

"This is the end for you, Wuya! 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'! Grandmaster Dashi, I call thee!"

The mirror illuminated and the translucent spirit the Xiaolin Master, Dashi, emerged from the face of the mystical artifact.

"You know, Wuya," the Chinese ghost told the witch, "I'm getting tired of this 'steal-your-body-and-lock-your-soul-up' routine. Can we try to make this the last time?"

With a quick dive, he passed straight through Wuya's body, removing her fleshy form like he did the previous year in her citadel. With the "Voice' Raimundo imprisoned the ghost Wuya into the 'Conversion Clay', and watched as Dashi gave him a thumbs up and vanished.

"Raimundo, won't Wuya's spirit be able to control the 'Conversion Clay'?" Omi asked.

"It's in the shape of a box and she can't change its form. How dangerous can a cube be?" Rai replied.

A roar ripped through the air, and the monks turned to find Chase in his reptilian body fighting an enlarge Hannibal Bean. With savagery and consuming fire, Chase Young tore through the plant until the scatter remains of the bean were either charred or trenched with fang marks. The humanoid dragon gazed over his kill for a moment before turning back to the Wudai Warriors.

"What to do with you next…?" he asked Raimundo.

"Rai," questioned a worried Kimiko, "what's going on? What's he talking about?"

Her boyfriend sighed before replying, "In exchange for training me to rescue you, I gave Chase Young my eternal loyalty…"

"No! Rai, how could you promise him your soul?"

"How could I let Hannibal and Wuya keep yours?" His voice returned to the calming tone he reserved just for her. "Even if my mind and body belongs to evil, my heart and soul will always belong to you."

Chase Young called out to him, "You don't have to relent your freedom…" Over Chase's side was Master Monk Guan, looking down in a solemn and guilty manner. The dragon unveiled his jagged staff and held it out at Raimundo in a fist.

"…if you wish to play for it..."


	15. Chasing Tomorrow

**Chapter 15: Chasing Tomorrow**

Although they fought to their bodies' and skills' limits, Raimundo and Chase conversed between punches and blocks in playful voices: with each assault, the warriors would question each other or taunt their abilities.

"Come now, Raimundo," Chase said as he slid across the ground after the Brazilian's foot swung into the beast's face, "I know you can put up a better fight than this…"

"It's a shame this is the best the infamous Chase Young can do," Raimundo replied in his old pompous self. With a low growl, his opponent slammed his tail into the monks stomach, launching him a few yards away. After his body stopped skidding against the earth, Rai rolled quickly to the left, avoiding the razor-edged claws on Chase's feet that crashed and buried themselves into the ground after a diving kick.

Spectating their battle were Clay and Omi, safeguarding the 'Conversion Clay' in case Chase's army of jungle cats should choose to emerge into the open.

Kimiko, on the other hand, was battling Omi's martial arts idol, Master Monk Guan. When she tried to assist Raimundo in his battle against the human-gator, the brawny monk intervened and flung her to the side. The Japanese girl had little time to ponder why Guan had stepped in before he began a barrage of strikes she struggled to avoid.

Raimundo, back on his feet, resumed flailing his fists at the Heylin dragon, but couldn't help asking for an explanation. "Why is Master Monk Guan helping you? What did you do to him?"

"So naïve. In 1500 years, do you honestly believe that Guan never challenged me to a duel at the risk of his own soul like you did for Omi? But unlike you, he failed in his rescue mission and survived the centuries as a beast under my command."

Appalled by this dark truth, Raimundo paused for a moment before Chase beat him once more into the ground. The Wind Dragon's anger rose simultaneously as the monk, and inquired, "But we met Master Monk Guan before we met you! He talked to us; He fought YOU! How could he have been enslaved by you?"

"All part of the plan. Guan was a puppet and a spy to determine which of you four monks would be the greatest ally and which one would be the greatest threat…"

Their battle waged on, but so did the dissection of Guan's past.

"You said Guan battled for someone's soul like we did." Raimundo reminded him. "Whose soul was it?"

"Mine," Chase replied, his voice serious and indifferent. He continued to explain while Raimundo's feet shot at his body like bullets, "Like he told you once, I sold my sold my soul for a potion: for the Lao Mei Long Soup from Hannibal Roy Bean, to be exact. The piece taken from me was the light side of my soul, leaving the latent evil in my heart to be brought out by the Soup.

"Guan was determined that might good half was still bound to this world, so he challenged Hannibal to a duel for it. As I was under the guidance of that feeble plant at the time, I was selected to battle with Guan in his place. And, apparently, dear old Guan lost the fight…"

There was a hint of remorse in the beast's voice, but Raimundo failed to notice it due to the fact he was outrunning Chase's firebreath.

Chase monitored Kimiko fighting Master Monk Guan with great effort and asked from Raimundo, "The Heylin side tore two brothers apart, so what chance does your teenage romance stand?"

"Enough to take you down!" Rai roared, burrowing his fist into Chase's eye.

Omi was torn to pieces by Young's revelations, but Clay scratched his chin, sorting through the information in his head.

"Hold it," he told Omi, "if Guan could officially duel for Chase's soul that means it still tied to this earth. And if it's still here…"

Omi snapped out from his sudden gloom. "…then we can call it out with the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'!" He called out to the Dragon of the Wind, "Raimundo, you must use the 'Voice of Tao Tsueng'!"

"I'll rip you to pieces before you can activate that Shen Gong Wu." Chase growled to him, standing above Raimundo, who was kneeling on the ground trying to catch his breath.

_If I use my element, I'm going to be stepping way past my body's boundaries…_Raimundo thought to himself. _Screw it…_

"Xiaolin Soul Wind!" he roared, summoning a great gust that swept the villain into the air and depositing him a great distance away. The teenage monk flew the 'Voice' to Omi like a Frisbee before collapsing to the ground due to energy exhaustion.

"'Voice of Tao Tsueng'!" Omi cried out. A beam of green light jetted from the other half of the world and pierced through Chase Young's reptilian hide. With the two halves of his soul reunited, Chase Young's body expelled the curse of the Lao Mei Long Soup, returning back to a human state. 1500 years time caught up with him, and in seconds, Chase aged into a pile of dust. Kimiko watched as her opponent disintegrated into nothing, meaning that all traces and minions of the Heylin warrior we forever wiped from the face of the earth.

"Raimundo!" Kimiko cried, running over to her boyfriend's side. She knelt down and rested Raimundo in her arms, tears slowly rolling down her face.

"Hey, beautiful," Rai said, his eyes barely open and his voice even less of a whisper, "glad to see you're safe. I, on the other hand, got the living stuffing knocked out of me, but remember…I'll always…love…you…"

And his eyes closed as his voice faded away. Kimiko broke down and tried shaking him awake, but her attempts to resurrect him were futile.

"Rai?" she asked, her tears streaming down her face, "RAI? RAI!"

"Yeah?", asked the boy she held in her arms, his eyes still closed but a smile covering his face.

"You're a jerk, Rai." She told him, but her voice was filled with more relief than her face was covered in tears.

And with a kiss, they healed each other of their physical pains, with Omi and Clay smiling in the background, still holding Chase's destroyer and Wuya's new home.

They didn't find the secret from the 'Fountain of Hui' and the 'Eagle Scope', but the war between good and evil finally came to an end…


	16. Epilogue

**Chapter 16: Epilogue**

A decade past and the four Dragons found themselves at the Xiaolin Temple once more. The environment of each monk's life changed over ten years' time, but the monks themselves did not.

After the fall of the Heylin side, Clay returned to Bailey Farm, inheriting it from his father. Like Omi during his short term as a Crud, the Dragon of Earth combined his unique Kung-Fu Cowboy techniques with his agricultural lifestyle to make the family farm a much more efficient home.

Omi, remained at the temple, but no longer focused on training his body to defeat the forces of evil. Instead, he spent his days in the meditation garden at Master Fung's side, reflecting on past battles and time spent with his non-biological family.

Jack Spicer, jaded from losing Shen Gong Wu in showdowns, gradually gave up the pursuit of Dashi's magical tools, but continued his plans for world domination. No longer a threat to the monks, he slowly became one of their "associates" after fulfilling his promise to Omi and taking him out for a "Monday" at an ice cream parlor. He was their creepy friend they acknowledged but tried to spend as little time around as possible.

Raimundo and Kimiko, however, spent the ten year span living together in Tokyo. It was their return to the temple that demanded for the others to come back as well.

In the middle of what used to be their training grounds, Raimundo, Omi, and Clay stood nervously in spiffy tuxedos swaying back and forth with the wind. Omi, who grew barely an inch over the decade they were gone, was given the duty of being the ring-bearer, leaving Clay to be Raimundo's best man. Master Fung stood in the front, a sacred book in his hand and a moment's meditation before performing the ceremony.

The engaged Pedrosa paced up and down the rows of chairs as he waited for his fiancé to walked down the aisle. His brothers, sisters, and the occasional niece and/or nephew waved back at him, as well did Mr. Tohomiko. In the back was Jack, looking like a disgruntled version of Good Jack, his hair combed over and neat dress clothes draped over his body. Clinging to his arm was a short-haired blonde named Ashley who, like Jack, gave up fighting the monks entirely and joined Jack's side at world domination shortly before joining his side in matrimony.

If Jack can go through a ceremony similar to this, Raimundo should be able to get through it with ease, but the Brazilian 25 year-old was still anxious of the things to come within the next hour.

He saw Mr. Tohomiko leaving to fetch his daughter and escort her down the aisle.

Behind a closed door with her best friend, Keiko, Kimiko was selecting earrings that would compliment the rest of her ensemble. While Kimiko kept her anxiety inside, Keiko paced back and forth in near hysteria. She held a checklist in her hand to make sure Kimiko was prepared.

"Okay, have you got something new?" she asked the bride.

"Wedding dress" replied Kimiko, putting on a pair of ruby earrings.

"Something old?"

"A necklace Rai gave me three years ago."

"Something borrowed?"

"Comb." she said, glancing up into a mirror at the comb placed elegantly in her hair. The 'Tangle Web Comb' was always one of her personal favorite Shen Gong Wu, despite the sexist remarks it inspired in Omi. She felt a little guilty because Master Fung was unaware that she was borrowing the Wu.

"Okay. Okay." Keiko thought aloud, beginning to count on her fingers. "Something new. Something old. Something borrowed. Did I forget anything?"

Kimiko raised her head from tying back her hair and looked into the mirror, noticing her bright eyes. Those gentle eyes that Raimundo fell in love with and brought her here today.

She smiled.

"Something blue…"


End file.
